f 



AN ERIE INDIAN VILLAGE AND BURIAL SITE 461' 



needs of the cabinet, he secured a magnificent collection and de- 

 scribed it at length in the fifth cabinet report, published in 1852. 

 Although Morgan was the one most actively interested in building 

 up the museum Indian collection, others also made valuable con- 

 tributions in the way of records as well as relics. Notable among 

 these may be mentioned E. G. Squier whose " Ground Plans and 

 Dimensions of Several Trench Enclosures in Western New York," 

 published in the second State Cabinet report [1849], has preserved 

 for posterit}^ a record of a large number of Indian earthworks now 

 obliterated ; Franklin B. Hough, who contributed a paper to the 

 third State Cabinet report [1850] with the title, " Notice of Several 

 Ancient Remains of Art in Jefferson and St Lawrence Counties " ; 

 T. Apoleon Cheney, who contributed a report on "Ancient Monu- 

 ments in Western New York," 13th museum report [i860] ; Rev. 

 Jacques Bruyas who contributed '' Radical W^ords of the Mohawk 

 Language," published in the i6th report of the museum [1863]. 

 " The Stone and Bone Implements of the Arickarees," by Lewis H. 

 Morgan, published in the 21st museum report [1871] should also be 

 mentioned here. 



From the foregoing it will be seen that the State J\Iuseum began 

 to form its Indian collections when ethnology as a science was new. 

 The same is true to a degree in archeology. In the early history of 

 the museum, however, the artifacts of the prehistoric aborigines of 

 the State were seldom or never mentioned in connection with the 

 term archeology, but included under the general name of " antiqui- 

 ties." Although the New York Indian museum began before or at 

 the same time when other museums were organized, the active 

 interest in a measure ceased, largely perhaps because no one seemed 

 available to continue field work in ethnology or begin field work in 

 archeology. True, from time to time, articles picked up here and 

 there or perhaps an entire collection were acquired, but only in few 

 cases were accurate data given. While other archeological museums 

 were pushing to the front making great advances, the archeological 

 section of the State Museum fell behind and the collection became 

 what Morgan first thought it would, merely " a memento to the red 

 race which preceded us and but slightly enlarged the bounds of 

 human knowledge." 



PRESENT FIELD OF ETHNOLOGY IN NEV/ YORK 



Long before the creation of the State Museum, the Algonkin 

 tribes which once held the southeastern portion of the State had 



